Sometime Around Midnight
by BittersweetSummer
Summary: Yes, of course something’s wrong. I just had my heart stomped on by my ex-fiancé. Your dear cousin, actually. ...Did I mention that I’m still in love with her? -Lily/Scorpius/Rose-
1. i miss you like hell

_And it starts, sometime around midnight.  
Or at least that's when you lose yourself  
For a minute or two.  
As you stand, under the bar lights.  
And the band plays some song  
About forgetting yourself for a while.  
And the piano's this melancholy soundtrack to her smile.  
And that white dress she's wearing  
You haven't seen her for a while._

--

One…Two…Five…Fifteen…

He's lost count of how many shots he's consumed.

The watch on his hand says that it's five minutes to midnight, but he can't bring himself to stand up and walk home. He's in no fit state to apparate in his condition.

He stares blankly at the haze of smoke drifting lazily upward, trying to find shapes in the billowing tendrils. It momentarily obscures his view of the mirror placed conveniently over the bar table.

As if from a distance, he hears the echo of the bartender's voice, but chooses to ignore it once he sees an unmistakable blur of red in the corner of the mirror.

Half-forgotten memories, dulled by the pounding in his head, flit through his brain, resurrected by the sight of the object of his (unwanted) affections.

Outside, the clock strikes midnight.

He stares at her indistinct reflection in the mirror as each chime echoed its way through his head, in tune with his pulse.

The band strikes up another song and he catches a few strains of it in an attempt to forget that he ever saw her.

She's in his favorite white dress, the one that he had claimed made her look like an angel. Her hair is down, the dim light of the bar catching the golden strands in the otherwise fiery hair. Her face is indistinct, but he can conjure the image of it even in his drunken state. He's had it memorized for years.

But even through the mirror, he can tell that she's smiling. She's emanating light.

With his brain muddled, the atmosphere takes on a dreamlike quality.

He makes no attempt to awaken.

Through it all, the band was still playing, the melody of the song thrumming along with the Firewhisky in his pulse.

He's too far out of it to catch the lyrics, but he imagines it to be a plaintive song, one about forgiving and forgetting. Something like the music he'd always enjoyed listening to.

He thinks that she wouldn't like the song that's playing now.

"_I don't know why you listen to this crap, Scorpius. Life's about having fun, not wailing about your problems."_

He looks at the dirt-encrusted mirror once more, unwilling to restrain himself from looking at her _just once more._

She's smiling, and the music was playing, and his heart hums painfully in harmony with the notes, wishing that he were closer to the light that she gives off.

He was a moth drawn to the flame.

There's an aching feeling in his stomach that has nothing to do with alcohol.

"…_I can't do this anymore, Scorpius. I don't want to be with you…"_

Her words reverberate through his head like a broken record. He often wonders what he did wrong to deserve that from her. Was the world finally demanding retribution for the sins of his family? By taking the one thing that mattered the most from him?

He was roused from his reverie by a sudden pain in his palm.

He looks down, (only a little) surprised to see clenched fists on the tabletop.

It takes a while, but he wills his fingers to unclench, seeing tiny streams of blood drip down his arm from the crescent-shaped indents his nails had made in his skin.

The Slytherin in him took a minute to marvel at the contrast of crimson shining brilliantly against the paleness of his skin.

That's why it took him a moment to realize that someone had put a discreet Sobering Charm on him.

The pain returned at full force.

But this pain had nothing to do with the blood on his arm and everything to do with the redhead standing in front of him.

_"Fancy seeing you here, Scorpius Malfoy."_

--

_**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER or "SOMETIME AROUND MIDNIGHT." Lyrics at the top belong to the writers of the song and The Airborne Toxic Event.**_

_**Readers, note that it does not say "Completed" at the top of the page. All shall fear my new multi-chaptered story and my horrid updating skills.**_

_**Written in the spur-of-the-moment, unedited, and posted before I could lose my nerve. Forgive me for any grammar errors.  
**_

_**Reviews make me happy. Pity they won't have the same effect on young Scorpius. Good thing they have an effect on the author of the next few chapters...  
**_


	2. too much drink is barely enough

_But you know, that she's watching.  
She's laughing, she's turning.  
She's holding her tonic like a cross.  
The room's suddenly spinning.  
She walks up and asks how you are.  
So you can smell her perfume.  
You can see her lying naked in your arms._

_--_

For a wild moment, he imagines that she's here to see him, to apologize. To welcome him back into her light once more.

But he takes a glance at the look on her face and knows that reuniting is the last thing on her mind.

"How are you, Scorpius?"

He struggles to put on a bored expression, but knows that he wasn't succeeding. To his dismay, his voice comes out choked, not the indifferent drawl that he was aiming for.

"Couldn't be better."

He takes a deep breath, and immediately regrets doing so. The thick, musky smell of her perfume immediately permeated his senses. Flowers.

He bought her that perfume.

Immediately foggy memories barraged his temperate mind. He remembered their first time, a blur of exploring hands, of nervous laughter, of whispered promises that were now broken.

"…_I love you…"_

"…_I need you…"_

"…_Forever and always…"_

All that remained now were the memories of the love that was taken away from him.

He felt a sudden surge of anger. How could she just stand there and ask him how he was? Act like they had nothing in common? Like they hadn't been engaged just two weeks ago?

He tried glaring at her again, but found that he couldn't stay mad at her for long. Looking into her eyes was like looking at the sun at high noon. Impossible.

He couldn't stay mad at her.

Merlin, he still loves her.

The worst thing was that he knew she had felt the same way for him, once.

Her voice, ringing strangely in his ears, broke his train of thought.

"Er… Guess I'll get going now. Just wanted to see how you were doing…"

He felt himself nodding mechanically, numb.

She waltzed away, hair swinging, on the arm of a person Scorpius didn't know.

Did she move on _that _quickly? Did he really mean _that _little to her?

He was an idiot. Was their whole relationship a sham then? He was probably another one of her man-toys, but he should have known. He'd seen how she treated others. They reveled in her fame, giving her anything that she wanted.

And he'd thought that he could change her.

Hell, he'd thought that he _did _change her.

For several glorious months, he'd seen the change in her. She didn't need to take advantage of people just because she had a famous name. Living with _his _name, he wanted her to realize that. You were more than what you were called.

Guess she didn't get the message.

Exactly one night after he proposed to her, she knocked on the door of his flat and told him she was breaking it off.

"_Just tell me why. Why are you doing this?"_

She had stiffened, and without turning around, answered.

"_I can't be married to a _Malfoy_. I just can't."_

Then she had apparated, leaving him alone and dumbstruck.

He asks for another shot.

The bartender made no comment, and pushed one toward him. As long as Scorpius paid, nothing mattered to him.

Heartache sells.

Again, he drowned himself in alcohol, knowing that _she _was watching him.

He chances a glance at the mirror, watching her dance with her partner, skirts whirling and hair twirling tauntingly.

She laughs at something her date whispers in her ear, looking directly at Scorpius over his shoulder. She was smiling again.

He asks for another shot.

The barman shoves more at him, a lot more than just one shot, but he doesn't notice, grabbing one and downing it before doing the same with two more.

Dizzily, he can still catch the whirl of red hair and white dress and golden skin out of the corner of his eye.

He wants to die.

He sighs as his body obliges to his commands.

His world turns black.

And for once, he welcomes it.

--

_**Guess you weren't expecting an update this early, am I right? I'm a bit surprised myself. I guess I'm in a writing mood today. Two chapters in one day! It's a miracle!**_

_**Keep on reading. I hope the next chapter clears things up a little more.  
**_

_**Reviews are appreciated, as always.  
**_


	3. we have seen better days

_And so there's a change, in your emotions._  
_And all these memories come rushing_  
_Like feral waves to your mind._  
_Of the curl of your bodies,_  
_Like two perfect circles entwined._  
_And you feel hopeless and homeless_  
_And lost in the haze of the wine._  
...

"_Who's she, Albus?"_

"_Oi! No dating any relatives of mine, mate! She's out of the question."_

"_Calm down. Just asking. It's not like we're gonna get married or anything."_

_

* * *

_

"_Scorpius Malfoy. I've heard a lot about you."_

"_Unfortunately, love, I can't say the same about you."_

"_Oh, you'll learn all about me soon enough. Saturday. Twelve thirty. Three Broomsticks. Don't be late."_

_He shows up at twelve._

_

* * *

_

_They're lying together by the lake, their bodies intertwined. There's a soft humming in the air as they watch the clouds pass by lazily, trying to find shapes in the sky._

"_That one there looks like a centaur."_

"_More like a hippogriff, in my opinion."_

_She laughs, and he stares at her and wonders how her light manages to eclipse the sunlight glinting in the reflection of the lake._

"_You're gonna be my sweetheart, Scorpius."_

"_What am I now, then?"_

_She ignores this, and stands up, brushing the grass off her skirt._

_She starts spinning, hair flying around her like a halo, and he can't help thinking how lucky he was, how it seemed like it was too good to last…_

"_We'll be together forever and ever and ever…"_

_Her words sound so cliché, but he finds himself thinking that he couldn't care less._

_

* * *

_

"_I hate working in the Ministry."_

"_It's not that bad."_

"_Speak for yourself. You _enjoy _that kind of work. We're still young, Scorpius. Can't we do something else with our lives?"_

"_You _are _doing something, love."_

"_Something that I hate. I'm quitting tomorrow."_

_Seeing the spark of determination in her eyes makes something in his chest flip. The words are out before he can think._

"_Marry me."_

_She doesn't hesitate._

"_Yes."_

_

* * *

_

He wakens with a sweaty brow and a pounding headache. It's been thirty minutes, according to his watch, and she still hasn't left. She smiles at him in the corner of the mirror, still dancing, still laughing.

His vision is blurring, and for the second time that night, he loses himself in the numbing relief of alcohol.

And for the second time that night, his vision is cleared and his head rid of the buzzing in his brain. Sobering Charms are becoming quite popular tonight.

Can't people just leave him to wallow in his misery?

He catches a flash of red again, but this time, not through the reflection of the mirror.

It takes a moment for him to collect his thoughts. Then he turns toward the person next to him, who was calmly sipping a Butterbeer.

Merlin, he hasn't seen her in _years._

She inclines her head, still not looking at him.

"Good evening, Scorpius."

A pause, to process what was happening.

"Same to you, Rose Weasley."


	4. voluntary madness

_Then she leaves, with someone you don't know.  
But she makes sure you saw her.  
She looks right at you and bolts.  
As she walks out the door,  
Your blood boiling  
Your stomach in ropes._

**--**

"I take it you're still hung up over my dear cousin over there?"

Same bitter Rose Weasley. He doesn't like to admit it, but her familiarity is comforting.

"When you put it that way…"

"Doesn't seem as tragic as you think, does it?"

He scowled.

"You don't know anything."

"I know enough."

A pause.

"You got caught up in her act, Scorpius. She breaks hearts for sport, you know. I honestly expected more from you."

Something in him crumbles at her words. He finds his face breaking into a sneer for the first time in a long time. It felt strange, foreign.

"Just because we're not all bitter harpies like you are--"

Her eyes flare.

He expects her to retort, or even slap him, but her attention wasn't directed toward him.

Rose's gaze was focused on a point past his left shoulder.

He looks behind him, and sees Lily Potter heading toward the exit, admirer in tow.

She looks right at him, on her face an unmistakable expression of savage joy.

His smirk slides off his face.

He feels himself flush, feeling his blood simmering.

There's something compressed in his chest, suffocating him.

He's so weak. Grandfather Lucius would be ashamed.

Dimly, he sees Rose giving him a pitying look, even though she tries her hardest to mask it.

Lily grants him one last smile, and leaves hand-in-hand with her new boy toy.

"She's such a bitch."

Rose verbalizes his thoughts, looking disdainfully toward the door.

He's a bit shocked at her language. They're related, after all. At least he had a _reason _to be calling her... that word.

"She's your cousin."

"And I love her. But sometimes she acts like she can get away with everything, just because her daddy's a hero. Didn't even notice I was here. "

Silence as he contemplates this.

"I still love her, nevertheless. She's blood; you can't hate your own family. It's not like I have a choice in the matter."

"I understand."

"_You, _on the other hand, have a choice."

"You can't really control you who fall in love with, Rose."

"I guess so."

Her tone was guarded.

He stares curiously at her.

He had to admit that she wasn't _horrible _to look at. She looked almost attractive under the bar light. It brought out her hair.

Her bright red hair. A lot like--

He flinched, and looked away, heart throbbing. One would assume that his heart would stop functioning, after all it'd been through.

"Something wrong?"

Her eyes, startlingly blue, gazed at him for a long moment.

_Yes, of course something's wrong. I just had my heart stomped on by my ex-fiancé. Your dear cousin, actually._

_Did I mention that I'm still in love with her?_

"No."

**--**

**This was originally going to be a lot longer, but I decided to cut it in half. Which means I've got the next chapter written out already. (evil grin)**

**I hope this clears up any confusion for anybody. I'm sorry if it was a little hard to understand.**

**This is the last time you'll be seeing the lyrics at the top of the page. Decided to stop those and take a new direction on things.  
**

**Oh yes (almost forgot), the chapter titles are from quotes or made up off the top of my head. Most of them are quotes though, since I hate making up chapter titles. Any recognizable content belongs to the authors.**

**Special thanks go to:**

_**arnoldthefemalepurplepygmypuff, firefairydog94, glowyrm, Ophelia Skinner, and UndeniablyMe**_

**for reviewing the first three chapters. You guys don't know how much it warms my heart. **

**Reviews make me so happy. And isn't that a reward in itself? (Just messing with you guys. BUT reviews are always appreciated.)**


	5. breakdowns create breakthroughs

He needs to change the subject. Now.

"So what brings you here, Rose?"

"Nothing in particular. Just liked the atmosphere."

"Surprise, coming from you."

His tone is suddenly teasing, which unsettles him.

Her expression was indignant.

"How so?"

"Well, I always thought you were sort of a girl who liked peace and quiet, you know what I mean? You always used to sit in the corner of the common room and read. I recall you yelling at me and Albus to 'shut the hell up' whenever we were rowdy. I always found it surprising that you weren't in Ravenclaw."

"Oh, shut it, Scorp. You were quite the student back then too."

"Such a surprising statement, coming from Miss 'I-Live-In-The-Library.'"

"You were in there just as much! I remember that the old hag of a librarian Pince would always swoon whenever you came inside. Which was quite frequently."

He blanched.

"Don't remind me."

She laughed, the sound falling effortlessly around them.

It took a moment to register the fact that he was smiling.

Her eyes got bright, the blue in them reflecting off of the light of a bar.

"_Remember when we…"_

_

* * *

_

They spent the rest of the evening talking, and Scorpius discovered that he had missed having Rose Weasley around.

Together, they never ran out of things to discuss. The conversation flowed effortlessly, ranging from fond memories to funny stories to watching people make fools out of themselves on the dance floor.

Not once did they touch the subject of Lily Potter.

The first time he laughed, it came out jarringly, seeming to lodge at the back of his throat before coming out in short bursts.

The second (and the third and the fourth) time, it got easier. Practically effortless.

It felt natural, instinctive.

_(Almost.)_

And in an instant, Scorpius realized that _this _was everything that he had missed having.

* * *

"Tell me the truth, Scorpius. What do you think of that bloke over there?"

"The one groping that other girl's arse?"

"Never mind."

He smirked, and replied without thinking.

"Wouldn't your boyfriend be concerned, if you were looking at other men?"

Her reply was casual, but he noticed that the fingers gripping her glass tightened.

"Don't have one at the moment, thank you very much."

And then, much too quickly:

"Enough about my love life, Scorp, tell me about your-_Crap_."

His stomach convulsed. Back to the present.

"Hey."

"Scorp."

"_Scorpius_."

At the light touch of her hand, he dizzily looked up at the horrifyingly pitying face of Rose Weasley.

They spoke at the same time.

"Sorry."

It was a bit supernatural, seeing Rose so… _caring _all of a sudden. For a moment, he wondered if he were imagining this.

Her next words abruptly brought him back.

"I forgot."

He stood up a bit unsteadily, an image of Lily Potter in his head that will forever be ingrained into his memory.

"I have to go."

She looked up at him stoically, and he almost didn't register her next words through the fog clouding his brain.

"This won't be the last you'll see of me, Scorpius Malfoy."

As he walks toward the exit, she doesn't say goodbye. Doesn't say a word.

_Rose Weasley doesn't do goodbye_, he remembers.

* * *

Later that night, Scorpius dreams of golden-red hair and flickering bar lights and white sundresses that turn into wedding dresses.

He awakens with a start, Rose's words seeming to reverberate in his head, echoing through the corners of the room.

"_I forgot."_

The thing that scares him most was that when talking with her, he almost did too.

* * *

**Well, guess who's back?**

**Promise that in the future Scorpius will (cough) man up. **

**Nothing else to say, except:  
**

**Happy Holidays and Thanks! to: _Ophelia Skinner, arnold the female purple pygmy puff , Lunatikk, glowrym, firefairydog94, UndeniablyMe, lazy flower, serenity12345, callmedaynuhh, musicforlife, bold brunette, and ListenToTheWind _for reviewing the last chapter.**

**Love you all.**


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